One of the casualties associated with the recent government shutdown and game of chicken that legislators played with the nation's debt ceiling is consumer confidence. And this will have significant ramifications coming into the fourth quarter holiday season, especially as the debate over government spending and the debt ceiling crisis has not been resolved but only delayed until January.

Holding the holiday season hostage means Washington has lost big points with big retail, and IRI measured the impact. Reminiscent of recession shopping behaviors, almost two-in-three consumers are cutting back on non-essential spending; half are again gravitating toward private label or other value propositions and two in five are beginning to scour online resources in search of coupons and deals.

Rite Aid has finished a buyback program for more than $800 million worth of debt using proceeds from a sale of notes that allow the company to borrow at a lower interest rate, the retail pharmacy chain said Tuesday.

Rite Aid has completed an effort to refinance half a billion dollars in debt, the retail pharmacy chain said Friday, fresh off its announcement the day before of its third consecutive profitable quarter.

Rite Aid moved to refinance its debt Friday, announcing that it would buy half a billion dollars in notes using proceeds from a new loan, while also projecting that it would turn a profit in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014, results of which it will announce next week.

GE Capital Corporate Retail Finance announced it is administrative agent and sole lender on a $65 million asset-based credit facility for Navarro Discount Pharmacy. The financing will be used to refinance debt and for general corporate purposes.

Beauty company Physicians Formula Holdings has completed the previously announced refinancing of its subordinated debt held by Mill Road Capital, and expects interest expense to be reduced by $1.5 million for the first 12 months, following the refinancing.

Bankrupt grocer A&P has entered into an agreement to receive $490 million of debt and equity financing from investors that will enable it to complete the restructuring of its balance sheet and emerge from Chapter 11 as a private entity in early 2012.

Tria Beauty, which creates at-home light-based skin care products, has announced the completion of $27 million in equity and $10 million in debt financing to help support the continued growth of the company and global commercialization of its light-based skin care products.

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SPECIAL REPORTS

Are we in the midst of a beauty revolution? Perhaps. It is no secret that the ever-changing beauty category is all about trends, but one could argue that we are embarking on an especially interesting time in beauty as technology is changing the way consumers shop and new innovations strive to break through the noise.

In this beauty report, Drug Store News takes a deeper dive into some of the leading trends that are reshaping beauty.more ...

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In this issue, DSN examines PricewaterhouseCoopers' "Top Health Industry Issues for 2015;" takes you on a tour of Murad, shares beauty trends and insights and delves into location-based technology and how it is revolutionizing health, retail.Click here to view the issue.